Mother's Day and Other Things

May is a lovely time this year.  Our English and singing commitments are over.  That brings a little more relaxing time.  A little.  The end of the school year brings lots of kid events.  Seth and Angelica sang in their last concert of the year this past week.  It was great.  As usual, at the end of the performance we waited...and waited...and waited while the kids bonded and said their goodbyes for the year.  I'm working on being patient with such things.  But it doesn't come easily.  Layne, on the other hand, is patient with waiting, and other things too.  I love that about him.

Here's Seth and Angelica, dressed in informal concert wear.  Seth's expression is the closest he will come to a smile for the camera. 

This coming week there will be a dance and piano recital for Angelica.  Then I think we will be through with kid's events for the school year.  In two weeks Seth and Angelica fly home for the summer.  The time has rushed by but with that time the kids have changed quite a bit.  They are becoming more independent, mature and comfortable with American ways.  I will miss them this summer even though their absence will give us more opportunities to do things on our own. 

Audrey and Allegra drove here for Mother's Day weekend.  It was lovely to have them here.  I love to have family with me.  My secret fantasy is to have them all living around me in a big circle, with the middle yard being full of all sorts of pleasures.  Perhaps that is what heaven will be like.  We celebrated Mother's Day with Audrey, Allegra, Dorothy, Bruce and Dorothy's mom, Linda.  It was fun to be together.  Soon Reed will be here too with the boys.  So now there is a little taste of family here in Idaho with us.   Here's Allegra, Audrey and Angelica in back, with Dorothy, Linda and me in front.  Linda has a hard time smiling now.

Here's my sweet guy Layne doing dishes for me on Mom's Day.  It is only fair since, this year, I cooked my own Mother's Day dinner!

Our little great-granddaughter, Hazel, is doing very well at last.  After a rough start, she is approaching newborn size and finally thriving with her Mom, Dad and big brother, Hunter, at home.  She's pretty cute!

I spoke in Sacrament meeting today.  I was surprised to be asked as we haven't been involved in the ward for a few years.  We've been doing local missions instead.  It seems to me that older folk are not used much in wards.  Perhaps that is a good thing as it gives younger people opportunities to learn and grow.  But without missions I would feel pretty un-useful.  So speaking in Sacrament meeting was an unusual opportunity.  I spoke on repentance.  I was worried about it right up to the presentation, but I got lots of compliments afterward so now I feel good about it.  Public speaking is fun if I can get excited about the material.  I worked at this one until I did.

Layne is swallowed up in yard work these days.  The long, warm days are coming upon us and he is coming alive with outdoor projects.  Nature nurtures you know.  He feels it and so do I. 

Easter and Beyond

I was so excited about Easter this year.  Maybe because I read the Bible story a little more carefully.  Or maybe because I decided to set aside a wall space to feature the Savior.  Or maybe because I was just thinking about it more.  So I put up pictures and scriptures for each day of Christ's last week and we read about what He did each day.  Were the kids excited about it?  Was Layne?  Well...not as much as I was hoping for.  Definitely not that.  But I was excited and that should count for something.  Of course some people would say that I am the excitable kind and need to make space for others not to be so.  OK.  I'll try for that, but I always picture excitement somehow.

Our Treble Clef singing marathon began right after Easter.  We sang in 18 different retirement homes over three weeks.  It was exhausting but so uplifting too.  We are paid for singing.  So it has become a cycle of sweet things.  We have the fun of forming friendships, singing together, bringing pleasure to many audiences and donating money earned to a wonderful cause--fixing cleft palates in struggling countries.  It is a win-win-win.  Layne sang with us after all.  In case you may not recall, he vowed not to sing with us again after our last concert series.  Our leader, Bonnie, insists that we memorize all songs and Layne has a hard time with that.  He wants his music in front of him.  Bonnie relented and begged his return, promising him his music.  So he is back with us.  He has a great bass voice that brings much pleasure to those who hear him.  We just finished our last performance last night, to friends and family.  Of course the only family we have here at the moment is Seth and Angelica who successfully found reasons not to go.  But we have enough friends here now to make the connections last night very fun indeed.

Here I am with Cheole.  We shared narration.

Here's Layne, happy to have his music!

Reed and Dorothy bought a home about 12 minutes from our house!  I believe I mentioned this earlier.  Layne and I have been trying to get some things in order there for their arrival.  Things like installing a garage heater (for Idaho winters), a washer and dryer, special locks and other errands Dorothy needed done from here.  As of yesterday afternoon, Dorothy, son Bruce and mom Linda are moved into the house.  Well, they are physically there.  We are excited!  There is family here!  Reed and boys will follow after school is out in June.  Family in Idaho.  Imagine it!

Our English teaching is ended for the summer.  We had a fun last meeting with our refugees.  They are such lovely people; we have fallen totally in love with them.  In spite of all they have been through, they are happy optimistic people.  They are affectionate too.  Almost all of them hugged me on their way home from class.  I will miss them, as classes will not start again until September.  That's four months without English.  We challenged all of them to listen to English for an hour a day until we meet again.  I wonder how many will actually do that.

So Singing and Teaching are now over for awhile.  I feel a little relieved and excited about the time that will now open up for me.  I've got plans!  Yes indeed, plans.

Layne is a new man now that Spring is here.  He spends most of his days outside.  There is a garden to plant, weeds to conquer and lawn to once again mow.  With spring rains, all is lovely and full of life outside.  It is good for the soul to be amidst it all and feel the exploding life that fills our sight. There is such a smell of life in abundance.

For our kitty, Cherry, Layne is her man.  Here she is, seeking a little attention from her favorite human.

The kids have one more month of school, then home to Taiwan for the summer.  Here is Angelica, all decked out in her ballet recital costume.  It is that time of year.

 

Life is about to change for us quite dramatically.  Kids soon gone, Reed's family here,  summer warmth, singing and teaching over.  What summer adventures await?